Letter from Tacoma #20: Monday March 14, 2016

 Here we are, twenty weeks into the mission. If I've done my math right, that means I'm at least a fifth of the way complete with my mission. Though I should really stop counting, because I should want to stay out here as long as possible, and time would fly faster anyways without thinking about it.

Anyways...BEN GOT HIS MISSION CALL?!?! whoops, who turned on the caps lock? Sorry about that. But you've got to be kidding me! He's going to Seattle? I'm so excited for you, Ben! There's a lot to see and do out there, a bit more than there is here in Tacoma, and I'm sure you're going to enjoy it. Better put all your personal affairs in order sooner than later! I didn't even start packing until the day before I left for the MTC, so don't make that same mistake.  Also, don't get fat at the MTC. They tend to feed you a little too well.

But I'm also glad that Kyler still thinks I'm the best uncle! I definitely put a lot of time and effort into that little guy... Though from the looks of the pictures I'm getting, he isn't so little anymore. He's grown a bit in five months. That's crazy! It only feels like a month or two has past, not a full five!

It's awesome to hear that everything back home is going well! Good Luck at your concert Brandon!

I have a little more time to write today, so I'll make the most of it.

Being here in Lakewood is crazy! The area I work in, the people I talk to, and all the companions I work with, all are a new experience in of themselves. But even for a city area, it's actually quite pleasant. I love the trees they have planted across most the city; They're in bloom at this time of year, even though it's stormy, cold, and windy as well.

​You can see Elder Ellis in the bottom picture: He's one of my companions, and all three of them are some of the most outgoing people I've met. Anytime I'm paired up with any of them to go out and work, I'm put in some very uncomfortable positions.

But I'm sure that even if I had a companion here who's more reserved like me, the area we're in would just step up to make me uncomfortable as well. Already this week, I was placed in a position where I taught the Restoration of the Gospel to a guy who was drunk out of his mind. Oh, the guy was tripping so hard, but he wouldn't let us leave until we finished teaching him the lesson. So we just had to continue while this guy was on the verge of just passing out from intoxication. He said a lot of funny stuff, half of which I can't even remember anymore, but I will say that as soon as we finally left his place and walked out of earshot, I just burst out laughing because I couldn't hold it in anymore. That's definitely an experience to hold on to for later.

Ah, Lakewood is turning out to be great so far. The area AND zone I'm in right now has the highest baptizing rate in the mission. Already, I got to confirm a young girl into the church after her baptism yesterday, and during priesthood session at church, I helped confer the Aaronic Priesthood to a recent convert who was baptized just two weeks ago. Right now we've got a total of eight investigators on date, one for this Sunday, six more for the week after, and one more for later than that. With the rate of the work, I really have to step up my game and start running to keep up.

We had a fun night on Saturday though. That afternoon, we held a Luau for all Military and friends, and we had a pretty large turnout. We had a bunch of food, authentic decorations, and some great dances performed by members of the ward. I think everyone had a great time.

​Though the only problem was, we had expected more people to be there, and we were really stressing to make sure there'd be enough food for everyone... so as you can guess, there were a lot of leftovers at the end.

​But hey, when you're a missionary and you've got a limited budget as it is, you welcome free food with open arms. It all just depends on how much you carry.

So, before I sign off, I'll just leave a quick spiritual thought. Lately during my personal study of the Book of Mormon, I've been trying something new. During every part of it, I've been trying to put myself in the shoes of the author. It's reading in between the lines, because just by applying yourself into the circumstances they present, you can catch a glimpse of just how they are feeling when they write.

While doing this, what struck me the hardest with realization was while reading Mormon's account comprising of Mormon chapters 1 through 6. While he's presenting his story, I noticed the Mormon is actually a bit of a different person than I realized before. To me, just with the way he writes, the details he presents instead of others, what he deems as the most important in this book, shows that he was a very quiet, and very loving person. It's amazing how finding out what kind of a person someone is changes how you feel about the story. When you get to know the guy, what he goes through hits you more drastically than it would once before.

But that's something I'll leave you to experience yourselves.

Thanks for reading!

I love all of you!

Elder R. Austin Moe